Appeals Management

Each new rating list often provides grounds to appeal against the rateable value assigned to your commercial property, but it's not simply a case of submitting an appeal and hoping for a reduction in liability.

Our approach to business rates appeals management

Effective appeals management relies on being able to identify which properties to appeal, which to negotiate and which to prosecute before the relevant tribunal.

We will review your complete portfolio in a careful and professional manner and recommend appeals that we believe to have the highest success rate, with the aim of securing a fully backdated refund and the maximum reduction in rate liability going forward. Unlike some representatives, we will not expose you to unexpected increases in liability.

We use bespoke software and electronic exchanges with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and the Valuation Tribunal to manage your appeals.

Challenging business rates assessments and securing available reliefs

At each stage of the process, we’ll address a number of questions. We’ll also provide regular updates on progress as the appeals process can be long and bureaucratic.

Pre-revaluation representations:

Is there an opportunity to influence the Valuation Office Agency to reduce the impact of forthcoming rating revaluations?

Would it be beneficial to work with the Rating Contact scheme?

Is there scope to make an informal challenge to the draft Compiled List rateable values?

Initial assessment review:

Has the property been assessed on the most appropriate valuation basis?

How does the assessment compare with rental evidence?

What is the change in value between two Rating Lists?

Have physical alterations affected the rateable value of the property?

Are there physical alterations in the locality that affect the property’s value?

Appeal management:

Will an appeal against the business rates assessment lead to a reduced liability?

If an appeal is merited, when should it be submitted?

Our business rates appeals management service aims to mitigate our clients’ liabilities in a careful and professional fashion, reducing business rates payable to the absolute minimum.

Our business rates appeals management service aims to mitigate our clients’ liabilities in a careful and professional fashion, reducing business rates payable to the absolute minimum.

Rating in Brief spring 2014

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